Use Cases

The Outbound Funds (Core) managed package (and the NPSP Extension - found here: https://login.salesforce.com/packaging/installPackage.apexp?p0=04tf4000003PWyyAAG) has been designed to be a solid, expandable foundation for managing outbound grants, scholarships, internal programmatic funding requests… the possible use cases are truly endless!

Use Cases of the Outbound Funds package include:

1. Competitive Grants - Organizations apply and are awarded funds based on an evaluative review process. This may include the need to have an application, review and approval process as well as track Requirements.

2. Non-competitive Grants - Organizations are awarded funds without an application process. This may include the need to track an approval process and Requirements, but there is not a need for an evaluative review process.

3. Grants to Individuals - Individuals (not as a representative of an organization) apply and are awarded funds based on a evaluative review process. This may include the need to have an application and review process as well as track Requirements. Because these are grants to individuals, the Funding Request can be connected directly to a Contact.

4. Scholarships - Funds granted to a school or university for an individual or directly to an individual. This may include the need to have an application and review process as well as track Requirements. Because these are funds that are tied to an individual, the Funding Request can be connected directly to the Contact and/or an Organization.

5. Designated Funds - Individuals or Organizations are awarded funds without an application process. This may include the need to track an approval process and documentation Requirements, but there is not a need for an evaluative review process, or follow up requirements, such as reports.

6. Internal Programmatic Requests - Employees request and are awarded funds. This may include the need to have an application and review process as well as track Requirements. Because these are funds that are tied to an individual within the organization, the Funding Request can be connected directly to a User within the system.

7. Challenge or Matching Grants - Funds awarded to an individual, employee or organization that has a matching fund component. This may include the need to have an application and review process as well as track Requirements. Because these are funds that could be tied to an individual, employee or organization, the Funding Request can be connected directly to a Contact, User and/or an Organization. The key to this use case is the ability to tie the request to a specific bucket of funding (aka Funding Program) and track the dollars remaining in the challenge or matching fund.

8. Track diverse fund models (e.g. Fund to fund transfers, indirect funding, affiliated or flow-through funding) - There are several different fund models used by organizations, including how the funds are obtained and tracked as well as how they are disbursed. This may include the need to track inbound and outbound funds as well as source organizations and recipients.

9. Track both inbound and outbound funds - Organizations need to track both dollars flowing into the organizations as well as requests for funding and the awarding of those requests. This may include the need to track donations (using opportunities) as well as connecting General Accounting Units to Funding Requests. (This is made possible through the NPSP extension.) A simplified model may also be the need to track a total amount in a Funding Program and then track the disbursement of that fund.

10. Donor Advised Funds - Organizations such as community foundations need to manage donor advised funds. This could be accomplished by representing the fund as a GAU, linked to an Account if required, and representing the fund’s charitable purpose as a Funding Program.